Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on How To Prepare For Your Orange County Home Appraisal

Most people have a pretty good idea of what their home is worth. If they have lived in the area for a reasonable amount of time, they know what other homes have sold for that are similar to theirs. Everyone should have an appraisal performed at least every 2 years or so. Markets change all the time and you should be aware of the value of your biggest asset. What your home is worth is the deciding factor for the money you should receive if you should decide to sell, refinance or get a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) on your home. Below are a few things you should know about how to get the most out of a home appraisal.

When the appraiser calls for the inspection appointment, try to be a little flexible on when you are available. Getting started on the right foot with the appraiser is an important step. After all, they are the one that is going to determine your asset eligibility, in terms of value, for your loan. Tell them about the upgrades you have done in the last 10 years to the house. This will be a big help in determining which comparables they will use to value your home. If you put a list together to hand to them when they get there for the appraisal inspection, they will really appreciate it. Don’t go over each and every upgrade with them. Let them read the list and determine for themselves which add contributory value to your home. It’s very tempting to tell the appraiser of all the other sales in the area but they have access to all of them in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Also, don’t tell them how much you may think your house is worth. Let them decide based on their expertise and knowledge in the area. Sometimes the appraiser will come in with a higher value than you thought. If an appraiser becomes distracted for any reason, they may miss important features that may have an impact on the final estimate of value.

Make sure you keep your home clean and uncluttered. Everyone has a first impression including appraisers. Be sure that any obvious maintenance work has been completed. The appraiser will be taking interior photos of your home focusing on the kitchen and bathrooms so make sure those areas are clean from breakfast and your morning shower. Take a walk around the interior and exterior of your home before the appraiser gets there and remedy an items that you think will lower the impression of your home to an appraiser.

Keep in mind that any remodeling or upgrades done to any part of the house will add value but most of the time it’s not dollar for dollar.

Finally, try to make it a positive experience for both of you. The appraiser is not there to give your property a low value. He is an unbiased party to the loan process and the bank depends on them to give them an honest opinion of the value of your home.

The ‘Sammco Appraisal Group’ specializes in divorce appraisals, bankruptcy appraisals, date of death appraisals, estate appraisals, pre-listing appraisals and more throughout the Orange County area.